You Stay The Same, Allowing Me To Change
by DarkHououmon
Summary: Short story taking place after the events of Doppelganger. "I've been anticipating this moment, Snap. ...oh don't be like that. It's not like that at all. I just want to...talk to you."


A year...

It had been one year since that incident...

One year since he had agreed to join Vice... One year since he was arrested... One year since he had been in this gawd forsaken jail. And all for what..?

In the end, nothing.

Sol laid down on his bed, located on the far right of his cell. He had been trying to go to sleep for an hour now, but it was difficult doing so tonight. And it wasn't just because of Alegor's snoring or Vice's kicking of her legs in her sleep. Both those things didn't make it any easier to sleep, but for Sol, the biggest reason he can't sleep is because of something else. Something that he could not get out of his head. Or rather, someone.

And that someone was Snap. The zoner that he had despised so much a year ago. The zoner that he had helped to torture when he was under his and Vice's 'custody'. The zoner that they had nearly killed. Sol could never forget it. Even in his dreams, he sometimes relived what had happened at that time. Sometimes the dreams would create events that didn't really happen, but they felt so real to him.

He had tried to get these thoughts out of his head. He tried to move on. He didn't want to think about his time with Vice anymore. He had been such an idiot to join up with her. It was her fault that they ended up in this situation. It was her fault this happened because she could not control herself. But then...he couldn't put all the blame on her. He could have chosen not to join her. He could have chosen to walk away when she made the offer. He went with it all because he wanted revenge against Snap.

And look at where that vengefulness had landed him... If he had just went about brooding on that Snip planet, he would be free. Unhappy, sure. But he was unhappy here, too, and at least on the Snip planet, he'd be free, not locked up with two zoners he didn't want to be anywhere near. Vice, he hated, and Alegor, he feared. But because of his deeds, and because of Vice's outburst at the trial, he was stuck with her, as well as Alegor, for the rest of his life. And since zoners live forever unless killed, that was going to be for an eternity.

Life in prison had gotten a little better. There was still the occassional beating he and Vice had to endure from Alegor. And he and Vice both still had their spats and couldn't really tolerate each other's presence all that well. The other prisoners still treated them with contempt, though most left them mostly alone since Alegor still considered them 'his'. But overall, things weren't as bad as they started out. He had adjusted to life here. Not like he had a choice anyway. He was stuck here forever, so he might as well just get used to it.

Vice had a harder time adjusting, much to his amusement. Because of her addiction to anatomy, she had been suffering from what he could best describe as withdrawal. Shaky hands, looking anxious, overly excited. All because she wanted to look at some living organs, a 'right' she no longer had. She couldn't hurt him lest she get shocked. And Sol would laugh his head off if she tried to do anything to Alegor. The macho cat would rip her to shreds if she tried to cut him open.

She had no luck anywhere else in the prison either, such as at lunch or when they were taken outside. She did not have any of her sharp instruments with her, and there was tight security everywhere. She wouldn't be able to do so much as sneeze at another prisoner without the guards knowing about it. The fact that she was unable to freely cut into someone like she was able to before had really gotten to her, and she went a little crazy for a while. One of the few things that would snap her back to reality was Alegor, especially if her actions agitated him in some way. Watching her in this state was amusing, especially after all she had done.

She did eventually adjust and she...well he wouldn't really say she got over her addiction. Just that she got herself more or less under control, and didn't become anxious or crazy as much. Sol wasn't sure if he should be happy that she's not acting nuts anymore, or disappointed because it means he won't be able to wach her make a fool of herself again. Ah well, probably best she does not act crazy so much. She might accidentally hurt him, resulting in both of them getting shocked.

He really hated these shock collars. They weren't allowed to remove them. They did make an exception when it came to showering, but there were guards placed so they wouldn't try to run off, and then the shock collars would go right back on them. He couldn't take his off without getting shocked, and the same was true for Vice. The shock collars made it easy for anyone in the prison to recognize him, as if his Snip appearance wasn't a big enough giveaway. Almost no other prisoners here have shock collars. In fact, he doesn't recall really seeing any other prisoner with a shock collar... Well there was one old-looking prisoner he saw once, but it might have just been his imagination.

But regardless of adjusting to this place, he still hated it and wanted to get out. He was not able to do that. He was stuck here forever, and all because he was stupid enough to listen to Vice and join up with her. He had associated himself with someone who was mentally insane. He should have seen the warning signs and left when he had a chance. But no, instead of that, he had decided to stay with her. He decided to continue helping her torture Snap. And now, because of that, he was stuck in this prison for the rest of his eternal days. Oh the joy...

His time in prison had mellowed him out. Having Alegor for a cellmate has a way of doing that. He no longer had the same anger issues he did before. He wasn't as prone to outbursts. He sometimes still annoyed Vice, but he wasn't as malicious outwardly as he used to be. Becoming mellow was sort of an adaptation with Alegor. He seemed less interested in hurting him if he was calm and didn't talk back.

Becoming mellow had an peculiar effect on him. It allowed him to oversee his actions more clearly. He was able to think back to what he had done, and analyze them without a mind clouded with hatred. And it was not long after he started thinking more clearly that Snap had started to get into his head. And the dreams he would have with Snap, they didn't...feel the same. He didn't have the same thought processes running through his mind anymore. No feelings of overwhelming happiness at his pain. No satisfaction when he saw his blood spill. Instead of that, what he felt instead was...pity.

At first, he didn't understand exactly why. He was supposed to hate Snap, right? It was his fault that his life was not so great. It was his fault that he was a Snip, some copy of the original. It was his fault he was drawn this way, that his personality was that of some embittered person with a short fuse. And yet, whenever he thought about what he had done to Snap, he just couldn't really feel...happy about it anymore. Even imagining Snap's death no longer brought the joy that it had before, a year ago.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized just what it was. A feeling he never thought he would experience. Something he never thought he'd feel regarding Snap.

It was guilt..and remorse.

He reanalyzed the situation in his head. He thought back to how he acted on the Snip planet. He thought back to how he had treated Snap. He thought back to just what Snap had actually done. For a time, he had kept telling himself that Snap had it coming, that it was his fault he was a Snip. He had tried to convince himself that everything that happened to Snap was well deserved. And for a while, it had worked. Sure, hurting him was not worth getting sent to jail, but it was still worth it to scar the zoner for life, wasn't it?

These thoughts began to weaken overtime. Experience with Alegor, being the one on the receiving end of pain, it did, slowly, change his outlook on things. Though he did not suffer the same kind of attacks, he still went through considerable amounts of pain. Alegor was not exactly gentle, even if he was holding back due to the guards. Being put through pain himself, Sol suddenly realized that he was pretty much going through a similiar situation as Snap. He was, in a way, seeing things through his eyes. He felt fear towards Alegor, much like how Snap felt fear towards them. He was randomly injured, just like how Snap often didn't know the next time he would be hurt.

And now that he was on the recieving end of pain, he realized one thing right off the bat: He didn't like it.

He thought back to Snap. Though he had tried to convince himself Snap deserved to get hurt, he began to ask himself a question. Just what had Snap done that made him so angry? The more he thought about it, the more he realized..it really didn't make sense. It did to him, one time, when anger was the most prevelant emotion in his head. Now that it isn't, and he thought back, he started to realize just how insane he really was. He was just as a crazy as Vice, a thought that made him shudder. His 'reasoning' for hating Snap...it ultimately just didn't add up.

In the end, Snap had never really done anything to him. Yeah, Snap did hurt him during his stay, but it was just self defense. He was the one who was the instigator. He was the one who was hurting him. He can't really be surprised when Snap fought back in an attempt to protect himself, or to stop him from hurting his human friends. Snap never deliberately hurt anybody. And what did he do? He tortured him with a scalpel and added in further torment, and he had threatened his friends.

Which brought him to Rudy and Penny. What had they done to earn his wrath? In the end, he realized the answer was nothing. Yeah, Rudy did draw the ship that took Snips to that planet. But it wasn't like the action was meant to be malicious. Sol was just a bitter zoner who liked to complain. The Snip planet wasn't even that bad. He was just soured, and he guessed part of that came from the fact he was drawn as a sort of adversary for Snap. But that didn't excuse his actions.

In the end, he was a victim of his own anger and hate. He had let himself be so consumed in the negative emotions, he had blown everything out of porportion. He had overreacted to the whole Snip planet and Snip ship thing, that he had allowed it to control him. He had committed terrible acts all in the name of what he thought was 'justice'. But no..it wasn't justice. It was just selfishness and greed. He had no one to really blame but himself. He couldn't even blame Vice too much anymore. She might have done more terrible acts, but he still helped her, despite having a choice not to. He still chose to do those terrible things, and that made him get trapped here.

He realized that he had hated Snap, had wanted revenge on him...all for something that he didn't even do. Snap never did anything to him. Snap did not make him who he was. And that thing he accused Snap of..it really was just blowing things out of proportion, nothing more than an overreaction all because he was too bitter to see things more clearly. He had placed himself here, and all for nothing. It wasn't worth it to hurt Snap, and not just because it landed him here. It was because he, as he eventually came to realize, never really deserved what he got.

And that nagging feeling of guilt and remorse, it tugged away at him at night now. It made it hard for him to sleep. The dreams he had, they started to become more like nightmares. The same things happened, but the feel was different, scarier, not satisfying. He still felt some lingering dislike of Snap, likely a byproduct of what his creator had intended for him. But now, most of what he felt for Snap was pity...shame..guilt. He knew these feelings would not go away anytime soon.

He had these feelings for a while now. He had thought they would get better in time. But a month later, he was still feeling them. The emotions weren't fading either. They were getting stronger. He tried to fight back against them. He tried to ignore them. He tried to just go on with his life. But it was impossible to ignore these feelings. He soon realized that they weren't going to go away unless he did something about them. He had to take action, otherwise the guilt would eat him up from the inside out.

He knew just what he had to do. The thought made him shudder. He hadn't really seen or spoken to Snap since he was held prisoner. Oh he saw a newspaper article of him from time to time, though those were rare. But it wasn't like Snap would visit him in jail. Why would he, after all he had done to him?

What he had to do...was apologize.

The realization that he had wanted to apologize to Snap of all zoners hit him like a ton of bricks. The same zoner that, before, he would have loved to hurt. Had his time in jail really changed him that much? In the end, yes it did. He legitimately wanted to apologize to Snap. It was the right thing to do.

But would he even be able to? Would he be able to convince the guards to let him see Snap, and perhaps his friends? Would they even come, knowing it was him that called for them? He could just send a letter and...no. No letter. It just..didn't feel right. A pang in his stomach urged him to do it in person. It was easy to write a letter and send it, especially if he could keep it anonymous. It was much harder to apologize in person. An apology said directly to the person was more sincere, in his mind, than one that was merely written.

Sol continued to stare up at the ceiling above him. He took in a deep breath and let out a slow exhale. Yes, apologizing, even just setting it up, was going to be difficult. But he was still going to try. It wouldn't hurt, right? At least no one can say he didn't try. He knew it was going to be hard to say he was sorry with all that he had done. But he had to. What choice did he have? He could either apologize, or he could sit here like a coward and let the feeling consume him.

He made up his mind. Tomorrow, when the guards come to take him, Vice, and Alegor to breakfast, he'd talk to them about setting up a meeting with Snap...and his friends, too. It wasn't just Snap he had wronged. He had tried to hurt Rudy, and he did torment Penny for a time. He wasn't entirely happy with the decision, but he accepted it was the most appropriate course of action. He needed to talk to those three as soon as possible.

He had been wrong about Snap...as well as Rudy, and by extension, Penny. And it was time that he fessed up to that fact and confront them. He did not expect to get a 'out of jail' ticket from this. That wasn't why he was doing it. No, the reason was...he really did feel a level of remorse for what he did. And he wanted, no, he needed to apologize. And the sooner, the better.

Sol rolled onto his side, pulling his blanket over him. He wasn't entirely sure how he would go about this. He wasn't sure how he'd get those three to agree to see him. But he had time to figure things out. For now, he needed to get some sleep. He slowly closed his eyes and exhaled. Though Alegor's snoring and Vice's kicking still annoyed him, he was able to block out those sounds enough that he was able to get to sleep. Soon, he too began to snore.

sss

"Nuh uh! No way!" Penny said, making a motion with her hands and shaking her head. "There is no way I am going back there! I remember what happened last time!"

"Aww but Penny!" Rudy walked up to her. "It won't turn out as disastrous as last time. I promise!"

"Yeah, it's not like you have any more of those speeches you have to attend." Snap said.

"That's true..." Penny said softly.

Snap grabbed onto her hand and pulled on her a little. "So why don't you come with us? It'll be a blast!"

Penny still looked uncertain. There was something of a frown on her face. "I still don't know..."

"Oh come on Penny! We haven't been there in a while!" Rudy pleaded with his friend.

"There's good reason why I haven't gone back to the Tower Of Babble, Rudy." Penny turned her head away and folded her arms. "I'm not interested in sounding like an idiot again!"

"Why is that a problem, Penny?" Snap asked, looking confused. "I mean, you do know about the exit lick, do you not?" Penny looked at him for a few seconds. Then she slowly nodded. "Then what's the big deal? You can just get Mother Tongue to lick you again and you'll be fine!"

"Well..." Penny said. Rudy and Snap looked at her expectantly. She stared at them. Then she gave a sigh. "Oh all right..." The two boys looked very happy by her decision. She raised up her finger swiftly, narrowing her eyes at Rudy and Snap. "But! Under one condition..."

"And what would be?" Snap asked.

"That Mother Tongue and her gibberish inducing saliva stay as far away from me as possible!" Penny said with a glare. Rudy and Snap looked at each other. They turned back to Penny.

Rudy said, "Well..okay, Penny." He shrugged his shoulders. "We'll see what we can do."

"Yeah! I'm sure Mother Tongue will skip unwilling attendants if they just ask!" Snap grinned at Penny. "I'm sure you'll be fine!"

"I suppose I would." Penny said.

The three friends began to make their way towards night zone where the Tower Of Babble was located. Rudy had wanted to go back for sometime. He did think it was a fun place, and Mother Tongue did know how to make them laugh and have a great time. The reason why they hadn't gone back as a trio was because Penny refused to go back since the incident last time where she nearly screwed up her speech. Rudy didn't really blame her for being upset. After all, he did take her to a club where speech is distorted with a lick and it didn't click with him that it would be a problem for Penny.

He still felt somewhat bad about the indicent. He had apologized and Penny wasn't really that angry anymore. But he still felt guilty. He wished he had realized what kind of trouble she might get into if she went into the Tower Of Babble. He could have asked Snap for more information. He seemed to be more familiar with the club than he did. Rudy was glad that things worked out okay in the end, even if they just narrowly escaped screwing things up.

He tried not to feel too guilty. Penny hardly really blamed him over the incident, and even forgiven him when he had apologized. But she was still sore about it. She was not very happy with being licked against her will. And she was upset that she felt like she was going to disappoint her mother with the speech, since she was unable to talk correctly. She wanted nothing to do with Mother Tongue or her fancy club. He and Snap still went once in a while, Penny refused.

Rudy decided recently that he wanted to take Penny back. He wanted her to be able to experience the place for what it was supposed to be. Fun. He chose this time because Penny didn't really have anything due or anything planned. He figured that at least this way, if Penny did panic and run off, at least she doesn't have to worry about upsetting her mother or anything. But then, he wasn't really worried about that happening, since Penny knows that she needs a second lick to return her speech back to normal. He hoped that, in case it does happen again and Mother Tongue licks her, Penny doesn't panic and gets a second lick so she doesn't go out of the building babbling like an idiot.

He wasn't sure how well he and Snap could convince Penny to go back to the Tower Of Babble. He knew they would be there a while, trying to talk her into it. He was glad they were able to get through to her. He wanted Penny to have a more positive experience there and to enjoy herself. He didn't want the Tower Of Babble to continue to be a source of anxiety and discomfort for Penny. The Tower Of Babble was a place to loosen up and have fun. And he was determined to make it that kind of place for Penny. Yes, a second visit was warranted.

They were getting close to night zone. He could tell as the sky in this part of ChalkZone was changing color, showing the orange and red that he'd associate with the real world sunset. Then further down, he could see the starts starting to appear in the sky and the fading in of the blackness and dark blue. Yes, they were almost there. And not long after they get into night zone, they would see the sign for the Tower Of Babble.

They stepped into night zone. Rudy immediately felt the change in temperature. Night zone was always cooler than day zone, since there's no sun. It was not chilly or anything, but the change in temperature was noticeable enough and sometimes, like now, it made him rub his arms a little for a bit of warmth. He looked all around as he and his friends trecked through night zone, walking past the buildings lined up next to each other. They passed by a few zoners, and noticed a few others also heading in the direction of the Tower Of Babble.

This did bring a smile to his face. He hoped that the sight of zoners enjoying Mother Tongue's antics would help Penny come around and relax a little. Seeing others having fun and not be so stressful would probably help Penny try to enjoy herself more instead of being stressed out over what happened over a year ago. Rudy wanted to help Penny overcome that. He wanted her to understand that the sort of incident that happened to her a year ago was not going to repeat itself.

Now, after a few minutes of walking, they stood outside the Tower Of Babble. Rudy looked up at it, noting the neon sign as well as the crude animation of the tongue zoner licking another zoner. It was amazing how inviting this place looked, despite it being, overall, just another night club for the zoners to enjoy. Maybe it was the layout. Maybe it was the appearance. Maybe it was Mother Tongue, or the entertainment overall. Whatever it was, it beckoned Rudy to come in.

He and Snap made it to the door. They were about to go in when they realized Penny wasn't with them. They looked back and saw that she looked very nervous, fiddling with her fingers. She looked up at the sign. Rudy looked closer and realized that Penny's pupils were fixated on the crude animation above the large vertical neon sign. Penny gritted her teeth and took a few steps back. Realizing what was bothering Penny, Rudy and Snap walked over to her.

"Don't worry, Penny." Rudy said, putting his hand on Penny's shoulder. "It'll be fine."

"Yeah, Buckette! We'll just ask Mother Tongue not to bother you. I'm sure she'll be happy to listen!" Snap said, smiling at Penny.

"Well I..." Penny started to say. But she never got to finish. There was a sudden snapping sound and she moved her head left and right. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Yeah..." Rudy said. He and Snap both hard it. They couldn't tell where it was coming from. He looked around and he couldn't see anything. "I don't know where it's coming from though." Another step and he stiffened up a little. "I hope it's not some invisible zoner."

"That would be bad." Snap said with a shudder.

The snapping soon gave way to footsteps. Kind of heavy. They huddled close to gether, looking around for the possible assailant. If this zoner wanted to take them by surprise, then they already messed it up by making their presence unknown. At least now that they knew, they would be able to offer an affective counter attack just in case. They had at least that going for them. Rudy raised his magic chalk just in case they were in for a battle.

Soon, the zoner they had before made his prescence known. Standing before them was a stick figure zoner, a little taller and thicker than the average stick figure zoner. He was clearly a police officer, with the way he was dressed. Rudy didn't recognize him from anywhere. He might be a new zoner or they just hadn't run into him yet. Both were likely scenarios. They watched, tension on their minds as they waited to see just what this zoner was going to do to them.

The stick figure zoner stopped in front of them. He looked pretty tough. He seemed like the kind of zoner that one would not want to mess with under any circumstances. The zoner's eyes were narrowed as he looked at the. When he approached, Rudy couldn't gauge if his movements were hostile or not. They didn't seem to be, but his expression seemed to tell a different story. Rudy and the others braced themselves. There was a chance that this zoner was hostile. While there was also the possibility of him being harmless, they couldn't take the chance and leave themselves open to attack.

The police officer stopped in front of them. He looked them up and down. "You are Rudy, Penny, and Snap?" The trio stared at him blankly, a little confused. The officer was a little irritated by this and growled, "Tell me, are you Rudy, Penny, and Snap?" His voice was more firm this time around. When the trio nodded, he said in a calmer voice, "I need you three to come with me."

Rudy looked at him, confused. "Us? Why?"

The police officer said, "There is someone who wants to see you three."

"Really?" Penny asked. "Whom?"

"I am not obligued to discuss that with you three. I was just sent here to fetch you three and take you with me. I am not obligated to tell you anything else. So just come with me." The police officer said. He made a motion with his hand to get the trio to follow him. He paused and then he added, "Don't worry. You three are not in trouble."

Rudy wondered what this meant. Where were they being taken, and why? From the sound of this zoner's voice, it sounded pretty urgent or serious. He wished the zoner would have provided more information. What he gave was pretty vague. He had no idea just what the purpose was of them being taken away like this. The only thing he could think of was that someone wanted to see him. But he couldn't really think of who it could be. There were a number of zoners he could picture sending for them. It could be anyone.

The trio followed the police officer down the street. They headed back the same way they came, and soon returned to day zone. They continued along, the officer leading them through the land and towards some unknown destination. Rudy still couldn't figure out just where they were going. The officer didn't tell them exactly where they were being taken. Even after a while of walking, nothing really looked familiar.

They soon came up to a small grove, located in an opposite direction of Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. It wasn't very large, particularly small. It consisted of just a few trees and a small body of water. Rudy wondered if it was supposed to be an oasis, but whoever drew it forgot to draw the desert part. He was a little glad they forgot that bit. He wasn't sure he wanted to walk through a desert right now; he was a little bit thirsty and he had forgotten his bottle of water at home.

They walked through the small grove...oasis thing and after they crossed it, he took notice of something parked up against a large boulder. It appeared to be the officer's car. He and his friends froze. Didn't the officer say they weren't in trouble? Then why was he taking them to his car? If he didn't know any better, he'd say the officer was trying to arrest them for something. But for what? They didn't do anything wrong. Rudy tried to keep himself calm. He shouldn't be jumping to conclusions like this. Yeah he was just being silly. If the officer wanted them arrested, he would have put handcuffs on them or something.

The officer went over to the driver's door and opened it up. He pushed a button to unlock the other doors. He looked over at the trio and gestured with his hand for them to get in the car. They looked at each other and they obligued. Opening up the back passenger seat, the three friends hopped into the car. The officer got into the driver's seat. Once the doors were shut, he turned the key in the ignition, and the car roared to life. The officer backed the car a little before shifting gear and going forward.

"Just...where are we going?" Rudy asked.

"You haven't told us anything, outside of someone wanting to see us." Penny added. "Don't we deserve the right to know what's going on?"

"Yeah." Snap pointed his hand at the officer. "Can't you tell us anything?"

The officer was quiet for a few moments. "He..requested I don't tell you his identity."

"What?" Rudy was confused by this. This person didn't want them to know who they were? Why? "Any reason?"

The officer said, "I'm not allowed to tell you that. But I will say this. You won't be in any trouble." The officer turned onto the next street, heading down a path that Rudy still didn't recognize. They must be headed towards a part of ChalkZone that he was not familiar with. "I can tell you that we'll be heading towards a secluded area. Not many zoners around. The person requested it. And there will be guards there, just in case."

Snap looked nervous. "Just in case of what?"

"You'll see." The officer said before falling silent.

Rudy and his friends didn't like the sound of that. Their stomachs twisted in uneasy knots. If this person required guards, then it must be someone dangerous. Rudy couldn't think of anyone who would either want to see him and his friends, or would even be able to. Some zoners he thought of were deemed too dangerous to be around and he doubted the officers would grant them any request like this. The ones he knew that would be allowed, he can't imagine them wanting to see him and his friends for any reason.

He hoped that, whoever this person turned out to be, the guards would be able to keep them at bay. He didn't want to risk him and his friends getting hurt. Especially not on a day like this. He wanted to have fun with his friends. He had planned a nice afternoon trip to ChalkZone. They were supposed to be in the Tower Of Babble right now, but instead they were going to some unknown location in ChalkZone to speak to some unknown person that required guards. The idea was unsettling. He wish he knew more. This person being secretive didn't help. It just upped the antsy feeling he and his friends were filling up with.

Then again, there was the chance that this person was not really all that dangerous. The guards might just be a precaution so he can't escape. Or maybe this person was the target of some nefarious group and the guards are there to protect them. The person might also be very shy. This would make sense, especially if the person was a target. Rudy relaxed a little as these thoughts entered his mind. The zoner they were visiting probably isn't as dangerous as he and his friends believed. Welll, they'd find out whenever they get there.

"I wonder who wants to see us." Penny wondered.

"Yeah, and why don't they want us to know their names?" Snap asked, confused. "Are they afraid we'll bite or something?"

Rudy looked out towards the window. "I'm not sure. But whoever they are, they must really want to see us if they insisted on seeing us right now."

Penny nodded in agreement. "It might be something urgent."

"Yeah, like maybe some important item was stolen and they need you to get it back!" Snap suggested, a small smile on his face.

"That could be." Penny said. "Or maybe it's a little simpler and they just want you to draw something for them."

"Both are possible." Rudy said. He lowered his head slightly. "I just wish the officer would tell us where we're going and who wants to see us. I mean, I know he's not allowed to, but... Just what zoner calls someone for a visit but does not say the location or their name?"

"Well I'm sure we'll find out soon." Penny said. "Let's just be patient. We'll find out when we get there."

"Yeah, Bucko." Snap put a hand on Rudy's arm. "I'm sure it'll be okay."

Rudy managed to smile at his friends. The smile did not last very long and he turned away from them. Despite his previous hope about what the zoner's intentions might be, he was still worried and confused. Some level of frustration rose inside his chest. He wished he knew who this zoner was. He wished that they weren't so secretive. What if they do turn out to be dangerous? He didn't want to be lead into a trap.

But he did know that Penny was right. They simply had to be patient. They would find out sooner or later just who wanted to see them. And Snap was probably right. It may turn out okay. If there's guards there, then if the zoner was dangerous, they wouldn't be able to do anything. And if the zoner was shy and prone to being attacked, the guards would ensure their discussion would go undisturbed.

Yeah, it would be okay. He was certain of it now. He started to relax a little in his seat. The officer was still driving. He looked out the window, noting that they were now driving through what looked like a dead forest and heading towards a crystal-like plateau. On some level he was glad they came with as it gave them a chance to see some new parts of ChalkZone they hadn't seen before. He pushed himself back in his seat and took in a deep breath. All he and his friends could do now was wait until they reached their destination.

sss

Snap looked around their surroundings as he, Rudy, and Penny were being led into a small building located in the middle of...he didn't catch the name. Some kind of Fungus Forest or something. A relatively new part of ChalkZone. He would have been more curious to explore around this new place. But right now, his mind was filling with questions regarding this mysterious person who wanted to see them.

Who was he?

Why did he want to speak with them?

What did he want to say?

Why did he want to meet somewhere secret?

Snap just couldn't understand it. He was certain that his friends were confused as well. Why would this person want to be so secretive? Why wouldn't he let the cops tell them what his intentions were, what he wanted to talk to them about? There had to be a reason why they were summoned; otherwise they wouldn't be here. He wished he knew more information on just who had summoned for them. If he had any kind of clue, idea, then he could piece together why they were there in the first place.

But instead, he and his friends were left clueless. The officers knew exactly why they were there. There was no doubt about that. And judging from the expressions some of them gave them, Snap was worried about this person might be dangerous. He did feel a little better knowing that there were some guards here. If the zoner turned out to be dangerous, he could easily be apprehended. That was one of the only things that helped him feel a little at ease here. The other being that his friends were with him and he wasn't in this alone.

The three friends were led through the building and they soon came to a large room. There was a long table there with plenty of seats to sit down in. There wasn't much else in the room besides that table. A few shelves with a few items here or there, a window, a light, but not much else beyond that. Much of the room was empty, giving plenty of room to move around. Snap wasn't sure if this room was always like this, or if it was emptied a little to accomodate for the guards. Some of the guards were pretty large so he could see why removing some of these things would be a good idea.

The officer that lead them in there stopped. He turned to the trio and motione with his arm. "Go on. Have a seat. I'll go fetch that zoner now."

As he left, the three friends went over to the table. They each got into a seat, remaining next to each other. Now all they can do now was wait for the officer to return. As they waited, Snap let his mind wander. He really wanted to know who this mysterious person was. It was driving him crazy. While he knew that they would soon find out, the anticipation itself was killing him. He didn't get why this person didn't want them to know his name. Just what did he think they were going to do? Spray him with pepper or something?

Snap had no idea how long they were going to have to wait in here. They didn't know how far away this person was. They didn't know if he was even in the immediate area. He hoped it wouldn't take long. He wasn't sure how well he could keep himself from going crazy from wanting to know who this person's name was. Was it someone he knew? Was it someone who was watching them and wanted to inform them of something? Maybe they needed their help? Different scenarios rushed through his mind, and he had no idea which one was the most accurate.

He and his friends remained quiet for a while. They didn't know how much time had passed. They could hear the ticking of the clock in the room, hanging on the wall not far from them. They looked up at it once in a while. Soon they stopped, realizing that time appeared to move more slowly the longer they looked at it. Snap guessed about ten minutes had gone by, and still no sign of the officer. He guessed one of his assumptions was right, and that this zoner was nowhere near this place. They might be here for a while.

The silence was starting to get to Snap. He wasn't overly fond of it, except at night so he could sleep. He looked around the room uneasily. He finally decided to break the silence, unable to take it for much longer.

"So...any ideas on who this zoner might be? And what they want?" Snap asked.

Rudy shrugged his shoulders. "We're just as in the dark as you, Snap." He looked towards the door. "There has to be a reason why they would summon guards... That has me worried."

"Same here." Snap said, pointing his hand at Rudy. "They wouldn't do that for just any zoner, would they? Either this zoner is dangerous or they attract danger."

"That would explain why they took us out here, away from most zoner civilization." Penny pointed out.

Penny had a good point there. Snap hadn't considered it before. He knew this place was isolated, but it didn't dawn on his head, for some reason, that zoner protection might be a reason why they were brought out here. In this isolated area, if the zoner was a threat or attracted threats, there was less of a chance that civilians would get injured.

"That does make sense, Penny." Rudy said, resting his head on his hand. "But that tells us nothing specific about this zoner, except he might be dangerous or be a target himself. I mean...just who is he? Why does he want to speak with us? Why doesn't he want the cops to tell us his name?"

"Very peculiar." Penny admitted, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "There must be a logical reason for it."

Snap said, "I'm sure there is, Buckette. I know we'll find out soon. When the guard returns with the zoner, we'll find out who he is."

Rudy nodded his head in agreement. "True. I just wish we knew before hand, so we know just what we might be up against. I..." There was a click sound. Rudy turned his head over swiftly.

"What is it, Rudy?" Penny asked cautiously.

"I think someone is coming..." Rudy turned to look at his friends. "It might be the guards."

Rudy turned out to be correct. Seconds later, the door opened up. A group of a dozen guards came into the room. Some large and muscular, others thinner and more agile, and a couple in the middle ground. Each of them carried a gun in their hands. This made Snap feel more at unease. Why are they carrying guns? Is this zoner a threat? Is whoever possibly following them a threat? Just...why did they carry guns? That did not make him feel safe.

The guards lined up around the table, forming a tight circle. They all faced inward, some of the looking at Rudy, Penny, and Snap, and others looking off in different directions. They did leave a small opening, a couple of the guards keeping a little further apart than the others. Rudy, Penny, and Snap looked all around them. They were completely surrounded by these guards. They couldn't tell if this was to keep this zoner under control, to keep attacks out, or to keep them in.

Then, not too much later, they heard more footsteps. They saw the officer from before. Next to him, they could see what appeared to be a cloaked zoner. They weren't very large, only around the size of Snap. He was being led by the officer. They walked on the opposite side of the table the trio sat at. The officer stood behind the cloaked figure as he pulled out a chair and sat down. Then there was just quiet for a while.

Snap stared at the zoner, trying to figure out what their identity is. He couldn't see their face hidden underneath that cloak. He swore there was something familiar about this zoner. The way he walked, the way his overall shape was... He knew there was something familiar about this zoner. He just couldn't quite figure it out completely. He could see Rudy and Penny staring at the figure, their eyes filled with confusion. He could tell that they were also trying to identify this zoner. Man, this zoner must really be secretive if he didn't them to know his name even in their meeting.

Finally the silence was broken. The officer that stood behind the cloaked figure said, "This zoner claims to have something important he wishes to discuss with you." He looked down at the cloaked figure. "You may begin whenever you are ready." He took a step back. "But remember, this place is guarded."

That last line was of no comfort to Snap. It, at least for him, confirmed that this zoner might be a threat. He stared warily at the zoner, looking at them up and down. He couldn't see any indications of this zoner being a threat. They certainly made no threatening gestures to him or his friends. But that meant nothing. Something could still go wrong, he knew. He had to remain on his guard. He and his frends stared intently at the stranger, waiting for him to make a move.

Then he spoke. And when he did, it felt like ice was shot through Snap's veins.

"I have been anticipating this moment, Snap."

Snap felt his breath quickening. His heart racing, it pounded against his chest. He shook his head in denial. No..no it couldn't be... Not him... Oh no..anyone but him, please.. Snap's body started to shake as he stared at the figure in feaure. The figure took notice of his shaking and gave a chuckle. That laughter, it tore through his head like a lightning bolt, his mind reliving horrific memories.

"...oh don't be like that." The figure said softly. He reached up with his hands. "It's not like that at all." The figure grabbed onto his hood. He stared to slowly pull it back. "I just want to...talk to you." The hood was removed completely, revealing who the figure was.

"Sol?!" The trio cried out, their voices a mixture of shock, fear, and anger.

Sol pushed his hood down further. He stared at the trio with a smile on his face. A calm, unreadable smile. He eyed the group for a few seconds. He could see Rudy's angered expression, Penny's shock, and Snap's fearful shivering. Sol nodded his head once. "Yes... I know you are probably confused as to why I called you here."

"Y-Yeah..." Snap stammered under his breath.

"I swear...if you try to hurt Snap..." Rudy said in a warning tone.

Sol chuckled. "I told you three already. I just want to talk to you. And besides.." Sol spread his arms out, indicating the guards around them. "..even if I had intented on hurting Snap, or any of you, do you think I could get away with that with so many guards?" The trio looked around them, at the guards that filled the room. "This was the only condition that they would let me see you in. Quite...understandable. Even if they let me see you without so many guards, this shock collar is also a..deterrent." He patted his hand against the shock collar. He held out his hand in gesture. "So relax.. I'm not here to hurt any of you."

Snap couldn't stop shaking. Despite the fact that there were guards in here, he was still afraid. He couldn't shake off that feeling of terror in his heart. There, sitting right in front of him, was one of his tormenters from a year ago. Seeing him face to face again, after all this time, caused horrific memories to resurface. In the back of his mind were bolts of lightning, each one flashing a different image of what happened to him.

Strapped onto that table...

Arms stabbed and sliced...

Surgery while he was awake...

Being forcefed rotten food...

The blood...the pain...the fear...

Snap tried to fight back against the fear. He tried to tell himself that Sol can't hurt him. The guards would prevent that from happening. His friends were with him this time, too. They would protect him. He wasn't alone. He was not in that gawd awful hospital anymore, that mockery of a place that is supposed to help people. He was in a room filled with guards and his friends. Sol was even wearing a shock collar. Even if he got past the guards, he couldn't get rid of that shock collar.

But he still found it hard to calm down. He couldn't stop his low whimpers that occassionally escaped. He couldn't stop his body from trembling in fear. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the Snip. He kept staring at him, half expecting him to do something horrible to him like he did before, like stab him in the ear or cut his achilles tendon. He could feel Rudy and Penny huddling closer to him protectively. He looked at them briefly, showing an expression of gratefulness, before looking back at his former captor.

Penny narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth. "What do you want, Sol..?"

"Yeah. What do you want to talk to us about?" Rudy asked sternly.

Snap wanted to say something, anything. But he was too afraid to. He couldn't stop the horrible flashbacks from plaguing his mind. He could almost feel the pain again from what Sol and Vice had done to him. They had hurt him so badly... He had been doing so well lately. The incident was starting to become just a distant memory. But Sol ruined that by showing up.

Why couldn't Sol just leave him alone? Why did he have to continue to torment him? What more could he possibly do to him? He can't hurt him, no. Physically... Mentally he could. Was this part of Sol's plan? Was he going to try to find ways to attack his mind here? Snap doubted the guards would do much to help if Sol is jsut talking to him. Was this Sol's revenge? To make sure his mind is rebroken so he'll revert back to being sad and frightened? Sol was sick...

"Originally I thought about seeing just Snap." Sol admitted. He noted Snap's expression of fear. Sol waved his hand somewhat dismissively. "But I knew that wouldn't have worked. It wouldn't be enough. I..needed to see all three of you."

"Why?" Rudy asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "For what reason could you possibly have called us?"

Sol stared at the trio. They were confused by the expression. It wasn't of anger or malice. But...sadness? Well sort of. Not one hundred percent sad, but something like it. A tinge of it, mixed in with some other feelings they couldn't associate with the Snip after their experience with him a year ago. It was so strange seeing him looking at them like that. It was not something they would have expected from him.

A big thing Snap noticed was that Sol did not seem to have his usual anger with him. Even when he spoke earlier, he did not really detect the rage he normally would when Sol spoke to him while he was a captive. That confused him even more. For some reason, Sol seemed much...calmer. That didn't make him feel much safer, as even a calm villain can be dangerous. Still, it threw him for a loop. It struck him as odd that he was sitting in front of Sol and not hear any of the hateful slew that the Snip used to give him.

"It's..hard for me to say, I admit. It wasn't easy for me to do this, but..I felt I had to." Sol said in a soft, calm voice. Snap noted how he never once raised his voice, even when he was looking frustrated and trying to find the words to say. "You see...time in prison has given me a lot to...think about. And as you noticed, I'm not as angry and bitter as I use to be."

"I..noticed..." Snap said in a quiet voice.

Sol nodded his head in Snap's direction. "I figured you, out of you three, would notice that change the most." He turned his gaze towards the table. He rested his arms on the table, sighing softly. "There is good reason for that. Being stuck with an aggressive, strong zoner does a lot to...mellow someone out. It also helps to put things into...perspective." He raised his head up and looked at the trio. "The reason I called you three here is because..." Sol turned his head a little to the side. "..I wanted to apologize."

"What?!" Rudy and Penny cried in unison, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Snap couldn't believe it. Did he hear right? He wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him. Sol...wants to apologize? He wasn't sure if he could believe it. Was it even possible that the vengeful zoner would even consider apologizing to him? He stared at Sol in disbelief, his mouth open.

"I know..you're surprised." Sol said simply.

"You.." Penny pointed at Sol. And then she pulled her hand back and gestured to indicate herself, Rudy, and Snap. "..want to apologize to us?" Sol gave an affirmative nod. Penny's eyes widened a little in confusion.

Rudy's eyes narrowed. "Why should we believe you? How do we know this isn't a trick?"

"How is apologizing a trick?" Sol asked. "And before you answer that, remember that I'm going back to jail after this. Do you really think an apology is going to get me out of that jail? No. I made my mistakes and I have no choice but to owe up to them. I'm trapped in that jail forever. So I will not gain any advantage from apologizing to you."

Rudy still looked unsure. He took another look around the room, and he seemed to relax a little. He still glared at Sol suspiciously. "Well..you do make a point..." He said begrudgingly.

"Believe me. I'm here to apologize not because it'll give me a chance to escape." Sol said. He put his hands together and leaned forward. "I'm here because I want to apologize."

"Why?" Rudy asked, a tinge of anger to his voice. "After all you've done, what made you suddenly decide you want to apologize?"

"Yeah. You never showed remorse before. What caused this change?" Penny asked, narrowing her eyes as well.

Snap didn't say anything. He was still in disbelief that Sol wanted to say he was sorry. He wasn't sure what to think about that. Was it a trick? Possibly, but as Sol pointed out, what kind of benefit would he get from tricking them? He was trapped in that jail forever. This might be the first time he even got out of that jail since he was first locked up. Sol did make a good point. What kind of havoc could he wreak by apologizing? It wasn't like he could execute any plans from within the jail itself.

"As I said, I mellowed out courtesy of...my cellmate.." Sol said, remaining calm despite the glares he got from Rudy and Penny. "And it's helped me to...see things more clearly. I replayed my memories over and over...and I realized just..how insane I really was."

"It took you this long to figure that out?" Rudy said bitterly.

Sol gave a small smile at this. "I've actually had...feelings of that for a while. It just took me a little while to realize just what it was." He leaned back and looked at the group as a whole. "I came to realize I really had been irrational and I was blowing things out of porportion. I acted on anger and I am sorry for that."

The trio weren't sure what to make of this. None of them ever expected Sol, of all zoners, to apologize. It was confusing. They continued to stare at him in disbelief. It was hard for them to get over the initial shock. It was just so unexpected. There was still tension. They didn't want to lower their guard around this zoner, knowing what he had pulled off before.

But they did feel a little safe, knowing that there were guards around. If Sol, for whatever reason, did decide to try to get revenge on them, they were well protected. Sol had not yet made a hostile move towards them. That didn't mean that it wouldn't happen somewhere down the line. Sol was unpredictable. There was little reason to believe that he wouldn't still try something, even with guards and a shock collar being a deterrent.

Sol turned his gaze to Snap. Their eyes locking, Snap gulped. He leaned back in his seat, gritting his teeth in fear. Sol narrowed his eyes slightly at Snap. But unlike before, this glare wasn't created out of intense malice. It seemed more of a thoughtful glare. There was no cruel intent hidden behind it. He couldn't sense any interest to hurt him from those eyes. Either Sol was good at acting or he was being serious.

"Snap..I'm..I'm sorry for everything that I did to you. It wasn't right of me to do. You didn't do anything to me. You weren't responsible for anything I accused you of. I blew it way out of porportion and..I..." Sol paused for a moment. Then he continued. "I was just angry. Not an excuse I won't deny. But I let my mind be ruled by anger and I just wanted to complain..I took it out on you, and that was wrong for me to do." Sol lowered his head a little. "I am not expecting you to forgive me. But...I really am sorry for what I did."

Snap could hardly believe what he was hearing. The way Sol said that...it didn't sound fake. He still had a hard time believing he was really saying it. Was he dreaming? Perhaps he fell asleep somewhere and he is dreaming all this is happening. In an attempt to figure out if he was dreaming or not, he pinched himself on the leg. He stifled a flinch. No, this was not a dream. But then...could it still be a dream? It was hard for him to believe that Sol was...apologizing to him.

He knew this was Sol. No doubt about it. He could never forget that face. He could never forget that voice. It haunted him for so long... And this zoner pretty much admitted that he was Sol. That was what was leading Snap to believe that this might just be some kind of dream. Feeling pain made him suspicious. Then again, he's known some zoners to dream with pain, so that didn't convince him that he wasn't dreaming. Maybe if he splashed cold water on his face...

He stared at Rudy and Penny to see what their reactions were. They looked skeptical, which he couldn't blame them. Eyes narrowed, staring straight at Sol, they made it very clear they weren't sure if they should believe his words or not. Snap was glad that he wasn't the only one who wasn't sure if he should believe Sol or not. Something about this whole thing...it just didn't feel right. He knew Sol. He knew how dangerous and psychotic he was. He couldn't have turned over a new leaf that quickly, could he?

He looked back at the zoner. He still couldn't see any aggression on him. He wanted to, no pun intended, chalk it up to him having some kind of plan to lower his guard. He was hesitant to believe that Sol was actually sorry for what he had done. After all the pain this zoner put him through, how could he just trust his words like that? How could he be certain that Sol wasn't working with Vice on some new plan?

He shuddered at the thought of Vice. He had brief white flashes in the back of his head, memories of that horrid surgery coming back. Of all the things she had done to him, that was the most painful and the most scarring for him. His heart had felt like he was going to explode. He didn't know he could feel that much pain all at once. He could still sometimes feel her filthy hooves push their way under his ribcage, searching around for the organ that she wanted. That sensation was both uncomfortable and very painful. And touching his organs...such stinging horrible pain...

"I can tell you have a hard time believing me."

Sol's voice brought Snap out of his thoughts. He looked over at the Snip. Sol was still staring intently at him, his eyes narrowed not in anger or hate, but in contemplation and...understanding? There was something else he never thought he'd see from Sol. Before, he was never the understanding type. He had refused to listen to reason and had acted like he was the victim, even though he was committing heinous acts to him. To see him look like he was seeing reason...it was quite a change, and he wasn't sure how much of it he should believe.

Snap decided to speak. "Y-Yeah... I mean...after all that you've done..."

Sol nodded his head. His expression softened up. Was that a hint of sadness Snap was seeing there? Sol lowered his head a little. "Yes, I know. I've done a lot of terrible things. I admit, I...used to get off on it, sort of." He lifted his head and stared at the horrified Snap and angered Rudy and Penny. He waved his hand in front of him. "Nothing like Vice, I assure you. I wish I never met that foul beast. If I hadn't...well..." He shook his head. "Too late for that now anyway."

"So...you regret working with Vice?" Penny asked cautiously."

Sol nodded his head. "She was a monster. I shouldn't have listened to her lies. I should have just kept away from her. I should have denied her offer. But at the time..." He closed his eyes. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I was too focused on my misplaced anger at Snap that I..well you know the story of what happened."

The trio nodded their heads rigidly at this. How could any of them forget what happened? It wasn't something that they would just dismiss so easily. Snap was gone for days. His friends fooled for a while by Sol and his Snap disguise. Snap was tortured for days and forced to live in horrid conditions. He was almost vivisected, and it was luck that Rudy and Penny found out what happened and came to save him.

Yes, none of them would ever forget that. That was the end result of Sol's decision. He had helped Vice do that. True that Vice might have been able to get Snap even if Sol hadn't joined her, and that Sol's appearance may be what prevented Vice from vivistecting him right away. But that did not make what Sol did right. His actions did help result in Snap being in a lot of pain. He had helped to hurt Snap. Some of the scars he has was from this Snip. That was one 'adventure' they could never forget.

"I used to relish in your pain, Snap. When I said I 'got off on it'...I meant that it used to bring me joy." Sol admitted, his tone a little sour. "Seeing you in pain did make me feel happy at the time. So much so...I wanted to keep hurting you, just to hear you scream."

Snap shivered as he remembered Sol's cruel laughter when he was hurting him. "Yeah...I know.." He let out a soft whimper. "I know.." He felt Rudy and Penny put their hands on his shoulders to comfort him. He smiled in relief at them.

"We know fully well how much you enjoyed our friend's pain..." Rudy growled at the Snip. "The way you taunted us about torturing him.."

Penny snarled, "How could you actually get off of something like that? How could you take joy with hurting an innocent zoner?"

"That's the thing. I...kind of didn't know I was hurting an innocent zoner. At the time, I really did think it was retribution. I did think that Snap had brought on the fate to himself." Sol explained, using his hand to gesture as he spoke. "Of course I know now that was wrong. Even if he did do something, that was a rather...harsh fate to say the least." His expression furrowed a little. "That was no excuse for what I did." He paused for a moment. "I think back on what I did...and no longer do I feel..happy about it. Instead I feel... well disgust."

"For Snap?" Rudy asked, narrowing his eyes.

Sol shook his head. "No. For myself." He tilted his head upwards towards the ceiling. "I think back at what I did and I admit I'm starting to feel..appalled by what I did. It leaves me with a sickening feeling." He turned his attention to Snap. "You didn't deserve anything you got during your stay at Vice's...hospital..." He shuddered once. "And I apologize for my...involvement. I shouldn't have hurt you, and I'm so sorry I did."

"You..really are sorry..?" Snap asked cautiously. "You're...not lying...?"

Sol shook his head. "I know it's hard for you to believe me. But yes. I am speaking the truth. If you don't believe me, I won't force you. You have good reason not to believe me. I hurt you...so badly..." Sol lowered his head, shutting his eyes. "And you didn't deserve that." He raised his head up a little. "I mean, yeah...you hurt me. But you had an acceptable reason...unlike me." He leaned forward a little. "I was hurting you... You were just defending yourself. If I hadn't hurt you, I wouldn't have gotten hurt. It was my own fault that happened."

Snap listened to every word Sol said. He was still in shock, unsure of what to say. Sol was, more or less, saying he was innocent of the 'crime' that he had been accused of. And he was saying how he was justified in hurting him...because he was defending himself. Before, Sol would have tried to guilt him, to tell him that he deserved the pain he got and say how he had it coming. That was what he had done back at Vice's hospital. Sol never once owned up to the fact that he made mistakes himself. He would always blame it on him.

But now something different was happening. Sol was...confessing that he had been wrong. Even if he didn't outright say he was wrong, what he did say...well that was pretty much what it meant. That he was wrong and that he was sorry. He wasn't trying to guilt him when he brought up the whole 'hurt Sol' bit, and he acknowledged, calmly and not forcefully, that he was just defending himself. Now he shifted the blame onto himself, not on Snap. That was something he had never expected from Sol.

He still wasn't sure what to think of this. His mind was so confused and muddled. Sol...Sol of all zoners was apologizing to him. And not just him, but Rudy and Penny as well. Sol hadn't said anything to them yet, mostly because he was busy talking to him, but he assumed that Sol would speak to them next. There was still a chance that this might be a trick but...no it had to be legit, due to how much trouble it'd put Sol through with pulling that off. Too much effort, and Sol didn't seem like the kind of zoner who would have that kind of patience.

"I was wrong about you, Snap." Sol said in a soft voice. His eyes were still narrowed, and still they held no hatred, not like before. At the hospital, this Snip's eyes were so cold, they were hard to look at. But now those same eyes were soft and almost gentle, something Snap never thought would be possible from this zoner. "I realize now that what I accused you of...made no sense. I made a mountain out of a mole hill, and I should have known better. I hurt you for something that was neither as bad as I made it out to be, nor your fault. And I apologize for that."

The trio remained quiet. They let this information sink in. Sol was sounding more and more sincere with his apology as time passed. Though there was still some worry in the back of their minds that something might be up, it was beginning to look less and less likely. Sol wasn't some elaborate schemer. He wouldn't have the patience to concoct a plan like this. He was not good about hiding his feelings, and during this visit of his, he never once faltered. It really did seem like he was telling the truth.

And those things he said... And how he kept going... This was not a simple apology. He was actually going through the things he did wrong and apologizing for them. That was a harder thing to do than just saying 'I'm sorry'. Either this was part of some plan and he just had more patience than they believed, or this was real. And the more they listened to Sol, the more they wondered if he was being sincere. Sol hadn't once threatened them or tried to hurt them. He hadn't lasted out at Snap or called them names or went a rant. Nothing. Before them wasn't an insane, angry zoner, but someone who was a lot calmer, more pleasant to speak to. Had the jail really had that kind of effect on the Snip?

Sol stared at Snap for a few seconds, silent, and he continued, "I..used to hate you so much, Snap. I used to want you to suffer..." Snap shuddered as he remembered the horrible things Sol said to him a year ago. "I will not lie; I have some lingering feelings about that. Nothing that extreme, mind you. I still feel some...dislike for you.. I think it's because of the purpose my creator gave to me." He shook his head. "I won't be using that as an excuse. And besides..." He paused for a moment. "I don't hate you. Not anymore. Dislike...yes. Hate? No."

Snap stared at Sol in confusion. "You don't hate me?"

"No." Sol shook his head. "If anything, other than disliking you, I've come to...respect you." He made a gesture with his hand as he began to explain. "I've seen some newspaper articles of you. And I admit, at first, they made me angry. I couldn't believe that I wasn't able to leave a more permanent mark on you. I had wanted you to suffer for the rest of your life." Snap gave a small whimper at this. Sol sighed. "But I was taking things too far.. And now, when I look at you, I don't feel anger, but surprise and respect. I find it incredible that you were able to return, more or less, to your original persona after all that happened to you."

"You do?" Snap asked cautiously.

Sol nodded his head. "Yeah, I do." Then Sol did something that the trio never thought they'd see him do. Smile... Not an evil one. Not one hiding malice, but a genuine, calm smile. "I guess, in a way, as I started to have my mind cleared, I was...happy that you were able to stay who you were, as it meant that my mistakes weren't as permanent as I thought."

Rudy, Penny, and Snap were speechless. Sol...actually happy for Snap's happiness? For a brief second, they wondered if this really was Sol they were talking to.

Sol's smile faded and he said, "I was a monster. And I am genuinely sorry for the way I treated, you, Snap. I do not feel pride or happiness about what I did to you anymore. Just shame, remorse, and guilt." He stared at Snap for a few seconds before turning to Rudy and Penny. "I owe you both an apology as well." He focused his eyes on Penny. "I'll start with you first."

Penny nodded her head. She still looked a little skeptical. Snap couldn't blame her. He was happy, though, that she was willing to listen to Sol. Though she clearly didn't fully trust him, none of them did, she did not shut Sol up. She motioned with her hand, letting him speak.

"I am sorry about how I treated you as well, Penny. All those times when I was in my Snap disguise and I was rude or mean to you, like when I pushed you away or shoved you into the ground...I'm sorry. About what happened in the Light Forest, I'm sorry I threatened you like that. I forced you into silence. I toyed with you. I hurt you. And I'm sorry I did all that. That was wrong of me to do. I shouldn't have done it." Sol said.

"I can sometimes still feel that blade you used." Penny admitted as she rubbed one of her arms that Sol had cut.

Sol had a regretful expression. "Yeah I'm sure you do. Sorry about that." He paused for a moment. "I'm also sorry for kissing you."

At this, Rudy gasped in shock. "You kissed her?!"

Sol smiled nervously and tapped his round hands together. "Y-Yeah... I'm guessing she never told you?" Rudy stared at him and Penny, mouth agape. Penny rubbed the back of her head nervously. Clearly she had wanted to forget about the kiss, and it looked like Sol wanted forget it as well. Snap remembered that kiss all too well. "I was just trying to mess with her, to show her how dominant I was. So I kissed her on the lips." Penny turned her head away as if remembering, while Rudy stared in shock and Snap tried his best not to envision that kiss again. It was disturbing. "It was sick and wrong and I am sorry about that, Penny."

Rudy stared at Sol for several seconds, his mouth agape. Then he looked over at Penny. "I..I still can't believe that you two kissed.."

"He kissed me." Penny corrected him. "I did not want to be a part of it."

"I could see." Snap said. Rudy and Penny looked at him. Seeing that he had their attention, Snap continued. "I was forced to watch through Sol's eyes. On the television that I guess had a magical connection to whatever Sol saw, I could see it." Snap looked over at Penny. "I could see what he was doing to you. I could see when he kissed you. I saw the look of shock and disgust on your face. I could tell you wanted to punch the guy."

"She would have if I hadn't threatened her into silence." Sol said regretfully. "A part of me wished I hadn't done that. I pretty much deserved to be smacked for doing that." Rudy, getting over his initial shock of what happened, shot Sol a glare. The Snip cringed back, putting his hands out in front of him. "Not now!"

"Rudy..." Penny put a hand on Rudy's shoulder. The boy looked at her and quickly calmed down.

Snap couldn't blame Rudy for being angry. What Sol did, as he admitted, was disgusting. Rudy had already been told about the kiss, but judging from his reaction, he must have forgotten about that. Quite a bit had happened and Sol had done a lot of despicable things, so he could understand why Rudy would have forgotten. And now that he remembered, he could feel the boy's anger radiating from him. Penny did her best to calm him down. They couldn't afford to let this talk turn into anything physical.

Sol may not have hurt Penny physically with the kiss, but he had mentally, and that is what angered Rudy. It wasn't because Rudy had some kind of fantasy of being with Penny. They were good friends and he was close to her. He could see them getting together when they were older. But why Rudy was angry had nothing to do with Sol 'trying to steal Penny away'. No, what angered him was the fact that he had toyed with her like that. The only purpose behind the kiss was to disturb Penny and show her how much under control she was. Snap was glad that Sol apologized for that.

"I am ashamed to admit that there were times when I really wanted to hurt you, Penny. I had felt..disgusted when you tried to help me, when you thought I was Snap. I had wanted to...do terrible things to you." Sol winced, gritting his teeth. "I thought about cutting you open and ripping out your organs..." The trio gasped in horror at this and leaned back. Sol turned his head away. "I'm not proud of it." He looked back at Penny. "I'm sorry I had those thoughts. And I'm sorry I kept pushing you away when you were only trying to help. Yes you were trying to help Snap, which I was not, but that was no excuse for me to blow you off like that."

"Yeah...you could have been a little nicer." Penny said, nodding her head once. She then tapped a finger against her chin. "Although if it hadn't been for your abnormal behavior, I wouldn't have become suspicious in the first place." She held out her hand in gesture. "I might not have realized that you were a fake."

"True.." Sol nodded. "But then, it wouldn't have happened at all if I hadn't listened to Vice." He gave a soft sigh and shook his head. "A lot of things wouldn't have happened...if I hadn't joined up with her." He turned his gaze downward slightly. "I'm...sorry about trying to kill you, Penny. You hadn't done anything to deserve it. I was definitely way out of line there. I apologize for that."

There was silence for a few moments as the trio let this sink in. They were still a little in shock by what was happening. The initial shock was dying down as they let the information flow through them. They stared at Sol, still wondering if he was telling the truth. He did sound very sincere, though. And his apology, though pretty long, it was thorough and went through a lot of things that he had done wrong. And Sol did mention that he was going straight to jail. What benefit would he bet from getting a fake apology if he was just going to end up locked up again? There was little reason for him to lie to them right now.

His tone of voice indicated that he was being sincere. Though he wasn't crying in shame or anything, Snap did not expect that, but the blue zoner was quite social and interacted with a lot of zoners. He usually could tell when someone was likely being sincere. He was no lie detector, but he usually had an idea if someone was being sincere by the tone of their voice. There was a certain tone that was hard to mimic artificially, and it was this tone that Sol spoke in. It was possible, still, that Sol was lying, but the possibility of that seemed much less at this point.

The more Snap thought about it, the more he started to think that maybe Sol really was being sincere after all. Maybe he really had changed and wanted to make amends for what he had done. If that were the case, then he was glad. It was nice to see that at least one of his captors could see the light and realize just how twisted they had been acting. He was relieved when Sol admitted that he no longer hated him, even saying that there really had been no reason behind the hatred. Certainly a change from how he acted before, when he tried so hard to make it seem like Snap was guilty of some heinous crime.

Snap was willing to forgive him. In spite of what Sol had done to him, he was willing to forgive him if he was true to his word and was being honest about being sorry for what he did. Though it might take a while, and though it may never happen, he did think that, if Sol is honest and if they work to help him overcome whatever dislike for him that he had, they might become...friends...

The thought was strange to him, almost foreign. Becoming friends with the same zoner who had hurt him a year ago. That was hard to fathom, and he had his doubts that it could be accomplished so quickly. A part of him was disturbed by the very idea of offering this zoner the hand of friendship, even in the future. But Snap did think that everyone deserved a second chance, and if they really want to change, then they should be given that opportunity. If Sol really wanted to change, then he ultimately saw no harm in eventually becoming friends with him, even if he has to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Sol turned his attention to Rudy. "And you..." Rudy looked at Sol with narrowed eyes. The Snip looked a little nervous. "I am sorry about pushing you down that hole back in the jungle. I'm sorry the times I acted bitter towards you...and towards Penny. And I am very sorry that I blamed you for something that...well wasn't really that bad." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I had thought that the Snip planet was your idea of a prison. I thought that the Snip ship was some...machine of doom I suppose...in the sense that it brought Snips to this one planet."

"I never intended it to be punishment..." Rudy started to say.

Sol held up his hand. "I know that, Rudy. I know... I was blowing things out of proportion. And well..." He turned his gaze downward, fumbling with his hands. "I don't think I cared all that much about the other Snips. I just..I guess I was confused and the only way I could take it out was by being angry and complaining. And the more they didn't listen to me, the angrier I got. And the more I began to hate you." He stared at Rudy in the eyes. "I twisted everything...tried to create my own 'logic', and I wanted to take my anger out on you. I wanted to hurt you so bad.." He turned his head away. "I am glad I did not get that chance."

Rudy nodded his head, his eyes still narrowed. "Yeah...I'm glad you didn't either. How...could you think I deserved getting hurt? My friends too?"

"I twisted my own version of 'logic'." Sol admitted, gesturing with his hand. "I took simple facts and I stretched them until they were unrecognizable. I fooled myself into believing you deserved getting hurt for...well what was ultimately no good reason. And I sincerely apologize, Rudy. You didn't do anything to deserve what I almost gave you. You didn't deserve the hatred I felt geared towards you."

Sol went quiet for a little bit. They thought he was done apologizing, but then there was more. The zoner leaned back in his chair and raised his arms. He spread them out, indicating the group was a whole.

"And to both Rudy and Penny..." Sol paused, biting his lip. "I am sorry about toying with your emotions the way I had. I'm sorry I tortured your friend. I'm sorry I taunted you about it. He never deserved what I gave him. I disguised myself as Snap and made you think I was him. I am sorry for that. I shouldn't have done that. It was a terrible thing for me to do. Because of me, you had no idea that Snap was in trouble, and I am sorry for that." He looked at the trio one by one, bit his lip and said, "And to all of you, I'm so sorry for what I've done. I apologize for everything. Hurting you, toying with you, trying to kill you... I apologize for all of it. You don't have to forgive me. I don't expect you to. But at least know this. I am sincerely sorry for the monster that I had been, and I promise I won't ever try to harm you three again."

The room fell into silence after that. They all just stared at each other. Sol looked at them, either waiting for an answer or giving them time to let the information sink in. Rudy, Penny, and Snap glanced at each other as they let the information digest inside their minds. Sol had just finished his apology, and it did sound very sincere. Now the next step was...were they going to forgive him? They had good reason not to. He had been quite a nasty zoner, vicious and cold-hearted. He had partaken in torturing Snap, he hurt Penny, and he almost hurt Rudy.

But he had apologized for all of it. He recognized what he did was wrong and he confronted them. He confessed to them that he had screwed up big time. They didn't have to forgive him, but perhaps that was the best course of action. That would be the mature thing to do, the right thing to do. If Sol truly was sorry, and it sounded like he was, then perhaps they should forgive him. It wasn't like they were making a big gamble by doing so. Sol was going back to jail after this. And Besides, isn't a part of being emotionally mature being willing to forgive people for past mistakes, even as horrific as the ones Sol made? Even if they don't forgive him now, they could later on. Holding onto a grudge was never good, a sentiment that Snap held onto.

Snap stared at Sol, looking into his eyes. He still did not see any hint of anger or hate in those eyes anymore. They had indeed become softer, more gentle, something he never expected from this previously vengeful Snip. Instead of anger and hate, he saw what was clearly regret and sadness. The zoner was either very good at acting or he was being sincere. Though he, like his friends, was still a little confused as to how to feel about the whole thing, he decided that maybe he should give Sol the benefit of the doubt.

Snap knew what he was going to do. A part of him couldn't believe he was going to do it. A part of him was frightened. He was reassured by the fact there were many guards here, so if Sol was lying and he tried something, he would be stopped. Snap got out of his seat. Rudy and Penny watched him curiously as he walked over to where Sol was. Snap moved slowly, cautiously, taking each step with great care. The guards moved back, allowing him through. Soon he was standing in front of Sol and their eyes met.

For a little while, they just stared at each other. Sol looked at him expectantly, waiting to hear him speak or do something. He kept silent, instead gesturing for Snap to speak. But Snap said nothing. He just stared at Sol, not breaking his gaze off of him. Rudy and Penny looked at this scene in confusion. Snap continued to focus on Sol, trying to draw strength to do what he was about to. Then, finally, he worked up the courage and he took action.

Taking another step, Snap leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the Snip. He pulled him into a tight, firm hug. This action caused Sol's eyes to fly open in absolute shock. Rudy and Penny were stunned by this. Their mouths opened up in shock but they did not say anything. Sol looked equally surprised by this. For several seconds, Snap held onto Sol, his head going across his shoulder, pressing up against the side of the Snips head. Sol looked at him, unsure of what to do. Then slowly, Snap could feel Sol start to hug him back. Awkwardly at first, like he didn't know how to do this. Then, seconds later, his hug became more confident and Sol held onto him, completely returning the hug.

Then, after a couple seconds of hugging, the two zoners parted. They both looked clearly surprised by the hug. Snap himself hadn't really expected himself to do something like that, especially to the zoner that had tortured him over a year ago. It had taken a lot of course to get himself to hug this zoner, and he was quite surprised with himself that he managed to do it. Sol also looked shocked, and Snap was not surprised. Not many former tormentors would expect the victim of their torture to embrace them like he had.

Despite his fear, though, Snap didn't really have any regrets. He would still need time to forgive Sol. He couldn't do so just yet. At least not completely. He did understand that Sol was sorry for what he did, that he was acknowledging that he had been wrong. Snap had to admit that Sol also displayed a lot of courage for coming out and speaking with them. That had to have taken guts as well. Sol knew how much they feared and hated him. To have them come out here like this, to meet with him to say he was sorry, all the while knowing that they may not forgive him or believe him...yeah that definitely took bravery as well. Snap couldn't help but admire that about Sol.

He didn't think the courage would go away. He didn't think it would for a long time. But he would be lying if he said that this didn't change anything. Sol's apology and his promise not to hurt them again, and the assurance that he won't get out of jail anyway, it did help him feel better. He was feeling a little more relaxed than before. Then, slowly, he did something to Sol he never thought he'd do, in addition to the hug.

He smiled at Sol. This also surprised himself, his friends, and Sol. Of all the things...he smiled at him. But somehow, it came perfectly natural to him. He knew it was strange smiling at his tormentor, but a part of him felt as though he wanted to let Sol know that he was willing to forgive him. Maybe not now, but eventually.

"I'm..I'm not ready to forgive you. Not yet..." Snap admitted, his eyes facing towards the ground. "But I'm..I'm willing to try, someday. If you really are sorry for what you did..."

"I am sorry. Really I am. But I understand why you don't forgive me yet. I did a lot of awful things to you and that can't just be brushed away." Sol admitted, rubbing the back of his head in a somewhat nervous manner. "But I am glad you are willing to try to forgive me, even if it will take some time. I know I'll never be able to get out of jail, but..if you ever work up the courage to visit me later on, if there is anyone you'd like to discuss..." He motioned with his hand. "You're more than welcome."

Snap's eyes widened slightly. "But what about..."

"Don't worry about Vice. She won't try to come after you. Alegor pretty much has her tamed more or less. She'd be more worried about him to really care about going after you." Sol explained, giving a small smile to Snap. "And if she does try something, well I'll just hit her, which will activate both our shock collars. It'll hurt, but it'll be satisfying to see her getting fried a little after what she did."

Snap wasn't really sure what to say at first. He still felt nervous around Sol, but it was Vice he was most afraid of. She was the one who sliced him open while he was awake. She was the one who orchestrated his kidnapping. She was the one who threatened him with vivisection and nearly succeeded in doing so. Though Sol reassured him that Vice would not try to harm him, that didn't calm him down that much. It didn't help coming from Sol, whom he was still a little afraid of. He didn't really take too much comfort in all this, but he still started to feel a little better.

Snap was quite for a while, trying to think of some kind of reply. Sol was staring at him, waiting for him to continue. All the while, the Snip never once made a move towards him. He didn't try to grab him or hit him, despite having a clear shot in doing so. Snap was standing very close to him right now. Sol could sneak in an attack quickly, couldn't he? Or did the shock collar prevent that? He was so scared for a while that he couldn't remember all the details Sol said at the beginning. Well regardless if he really did have an opening or not, the point was he wasn't taking it, or risking anything. And compared to how Sol used to be, this was a refreshing change. He wasn't sure how long it would last, but he hoped that the Snip stayed on this path.

After a while of silence, Snap finally spoke. "Well okay...I'll see about that, maybe.." He winced at how unconfident it sounded. He hadn't meant to sound that uncertain. But then, after what this zoner put him through, was it any surprise? "Well you know..."

Sol nodded his head. "Don't feel obligued to come over if you find you never want to, Snap. Just giving you the offer in case you do. I made the offer because...well..." He gave something of a nervous smile to him. "I'd like to get to know you a little.. Well the real you, not the person I thought you were. If that isn't a problem.."

Snap looked at him in surprise. This wasn't exactly a gesture of friendship, but it was close enough to one that... well he never thought Sol of all zoners would do this with him. His mind reeled as he tried to make sense of it. This was definitely going to take some time getting used to. He was so used to Sol treating him badly that his behavior right now... He just wasn't sure what to think. Sol wanting to get to know him better. That was a step in the right direction, but it still shocked Snap that he was willing to take that step, when before he was so certain he knew all about him that he judged him without really trying to communicate with him. He just put a label on him, hurt him...

But perhaps he should take the offer. Maybe he could get to know Sol. Maybe there is more to the zoner than just the crazy version he had come to know and fear over a year ago. Maybe Sol had changed more completely than he thought. Maybe he could end up even liking the new Sol, if he was serious about changing, and if he stuck to this change rather than reverting back to his old self.

"Okay...I'll think about coming over. But no promises." Snap said, keeping eye contact with Sol. "You...put me through hell during my stay at Vice's hospital. You hurt me so badly. You tormented me physically and mentally. And while I do accept your apology and understand that you are truly sorry for what you did and are willing to change, I can't forgive you yet. And I don't know if I could ever work up the courage to see you in prison." Sol nodded his head solemnly in understanding. "But I promise I will at least keep it in mind."

Sol smiled lightly at this. "I understand." He turned his head over to Rudy and Penny. "And what about you two? What do you say?"

Rudy and Penny looked at each other. Their glares were long gone, and so was their confusion. They spoke softly to each other, too quiet for Snap or Sol to hear. He wondered what they were going to say. He'd understand if they were too angry at Sol to even want to consider giving him another chance. Snap himself wasn't entirely sure if he should give Sol a second chance. But he was a believer in second chances and if Sol was serious about not wanting to act like how he used to ever again, then he was willing to try to give another change..whenever he was ready that is.

Rudy was the first one to speak.

"I can't say that I can forgive you. Not yet. You did a lot of horrible things to my friend, and you did try to have Penny and I killed. That isn't something I can just brush off like that. But if you really are sorry, and if you are willing to try to change, then I may be able to find it in my heart to forgive you. Just...just not now..."

Penny spoke up next. "Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I can't forgive you yet, after all you have done. But I am willing to do so if you prove you are being sincere. If and when I'm able to forgive you, I'll let you know. I do believe in second chances, and as long as you remain sincere in your apology, then I am willing to forgive you at some point. But it may take a while."

Sol nodded his head. "Yes, I understand. I was not expecting an apology." He put a hand against his chest. "I did things I'm not proud of. Terrible things... I would have been shocked if you forgave me today."

"Yeah, that would have been pretty strange." Snap said.

"It does take time." Penny said in agreement.

"Yes, yes it does." Sol said, nodding his head a few times. He paused for a moment, then he added, "I'd like to extend my offer a little." He focused his attention on Rudy and Penny. "If you two would like to pay me a visit at some point as well, either whenever or if ever you can forgive me, or if here is anything you'd like to ask, don't be shy to see me. I'd like to get to know you two as well. It wasn't just Snap I jumped to conclusions about."

"We'll...consider." Rudy said hesitantly.

Sol was about to speak when the officer who brought him came towards him, his eyes narrowed slightly. Sol closed his mouth and looked over, waiting for the officer to speak.

"I'm sorry to cut this short." The officer didn't sound too sincere in that statement. "But we need to take you back to your cell. The head warden is doing some kind of inspection and he expects all prisoners to be present and accounted for. I think you said enough to these three, anyway."

Sol stared at him, looking a little disappointed. But he made no retort or argument. He simply nodded his head. "Okay then." He got up from the chair. The officer grabbed him by his arm and started to guide him out. Sol looked over his shoulder, at the trio, and said, "Goodbye. Or if you do end up visiting me someday, see you next time."

And with that, Sol was taken out of the room by the officer. One by one, the guards also left, and soon the only people left in the room were Rudy, Penny, and Snap. They looked at each other, each trying to comprehend what just happened.

None of them had expected Sol, of all zoners, to apologize. It was unexpected, something they never thought would happen. Sure, they did hope that his time in jail would teach him a lesson. But they didn't think it would actually stick to the zoner. They would have thought that he would have tried to deny any fault, and continue blaming them for what happened. They thought he was stubborn to consider the possibility of being wrong. Well, he sure had proven them wrong today.

They could tell he was being sincere. The way he spoke, the way he acted, the fact that he was not being granted anything special by doing this, it all made them realize that he was being truthful. However, despite being truthful, that didn't mean they could forgive him right away. He had committed horrific acts of torture against Snap, and that wasn't something they could forgive so quickly. Snap had almost died partly because of him. It would indeed take a while for them to be willing to forgive him, no matter how sincere his apology was.

But that might change eventually. They all knew that, some day, they may be willing to forgive him. And if and when that time came, they would pay him a visit at the jail. For now, they should get going. They moved out of the room and back outside.

The officer was waiting for them. Sol was nowhere in sight. Snap assumed that Sol was taken by a different vehicle. The officer approached them and said, "I'll take you back to the Tower of Babble if you'd like."

Snap smiled at this. "Sure, that would be great."

Penny groaned, rolling her eyes. "Terrific..."

"Come on, Penny." Rudy said, putting his hand on her. "It won't be that bad. I promise."

"Whatever you say, Rudy." Penny said. She gave a small smile before she and the others started to walk towards the police car.

"Well after that meeting with Sol, as enlightening as it was, I think we could all use some time to wind down and really let all that sink in. And what better way than to have some fun?" Snap said, grinning at Penny. "I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself this time around."

As the trio sat down in the car, the police officer turned the key and it soon started to move. The police officer turned the car around and started to drive towards the direction they had come in from.

"Yeah, I would expect a comical sidekick to think speaking gibberish to be fun." Penny said with a sly grin.

"Comical sidekick?!" Snap cried.

Seconds later, laughter ensued.


End file.
